Monday, May 27, 2013

I'm the Bill Gates of . . .

On social media, I saw a funny drawing of a lady
doing housework. The title read, “I’m the Bill Gates of dishes!” I thought the statement was so absurd that I left a
comment.

To me, being the Bill Gates of anything is like comparing apples to oranges.

For one thing, I
don’t think many people in the whole world could even comprehend how rich Bill
Gates is. His net wealth is estimated between $63 billion and $65 billion. I
have a very hard time envisioning a million
dollars. A billion is so far out there that I absolutely have no concept of it.
Then, multiply a billion over sixty times????

Intellect and vision.Bill Gates was a boy genius, a nerdy tech brain with a knack for understanding
the need of the moment. When others hadn’t even thought of having a personal computer, he was working on fun
software. Microsoft made him billions, but he
made Microsoft.

Philanthropist.The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gives away more money in one year than we
will see in a lifetime. Bill Gates has given $29 billion so far. Personally.
The Foundation works mainly to help the world’s poor in health care (including
HIV retroviral care, vaccines, malaria prevention, and much more), development
in poverty-stricken populations, and in education. The only person in the world
who has given more to charitable causes is Warren Buffet, who is considerably
older than Gates. (He has given $31 billion, much of it through the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation.)

Bill Gates and I do have a few things in common:

We’re close to the same age. (He’s older.)

We have both been voracious readers from very young.

We value marriage and family.

We both understand our blessings. Bill Gates said to the Telegraph, “I’m
certainly well taken care of in terms of food and clothes. Money has no utility
to me beyond a certain point. Its utility is entirely in building an
organization and getting the resources out to the poorest in the world.”

We feel strongly that people should obey the Golden Rule
(Luke 6:31). Mr. Gates said, "... it’s about human dignity and
equality. The golden rule that all lives have equal value and we should treat
people as we would like to be treated." (Telegraph)

To my knowledge, Bill Gates has never professed to be a born-again
believer in Jesus Christ. As far as I could tell from my research, he would be
categorized as an agnostic. It’s not that he’s against religion, though he once said he had better things to do on
Sunday mornings.

I sincerely hope that, if he has yet not done so, he will find the Lord
Jesus as his personal Savior. It is much more important to be rich toward
God than to be rich on earth. (Luke 12:20-21)For
what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own
soul? (Mark 8:36)

I sincerely applaud Bill and Melinda for their efforts to
alleviate the suffering of millions of the world’s poorest. I am thankful that
they are using their wealth to benefit others and not simply hoarding for
themselves.* I am glad to see that money is not their focus.

I enjoy watching interviews with Bill Gates. He
still has messy hair, a boyish look, and a casual manner. He seems approachable
and kind.

Hi and welcome to In the Way! I explore many subjects, striving always to present them from a biblical viewpoint. Feel free to browse the tabs at the top for general categories. If you don't see what you're looking for, use the search button below. I'm a pastor's wife, mother of two, grandma, teacher, author, and blogger. I live in a quaint little village in the beautiful Basque region of northern Spain.

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Lou Ann is a young-thinking grandma with an infectious laugh. She rejoices in nature and other beautiful things--including people! She's an avid writer and practices several other artistic expressions, like singing when no one's listening, calligraphy, photography, and even "serious art." Lou Ann loves her Lord Jesus Christ, family, and her church.